No Fear

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you . . . I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you." - Isaiah 43:1-2

I am His. He is with me, He is for me, and He is ever by my side.

He is at work in my life. In my heartache in and in my weakness, He is ever at work.

I will not fear, because He is for me. Whatever I go through, He will never leave me. Whatever I do, He will never give up on me.

I focus my eyes on Him and trust in Him.

You do not need to live in fear because God has you in His hands. He will not let us be destroyed. We can overcome our anxiety through Him by learning to trust Him. This is a process that takes time. Start trusting God with the small things and little by little we will learn to trust God more and more with bigger and bigger things. Then we can have His peace upon us that keeps anxiety at bay, keeping our eyes fixed on Him.

What is one thing you can trust God with today? Try to make it simple, but don't forget it by tomorrow. We learn to trust more by remembering God's faithfulness in the simple and small things from days past. Maybe you can start a journal of God's faithfulness in your life?

What is in my heart?

"For out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks."
- Matthew 12:34

How do I know what is in my heart? By what is coming out of my mouth.

Am I spitting out venomous words of anger or criticism? Or am I sharing words of wisdom and love?

Only looking to the Lord, seeking His truth and abiding in Him will change what is in my heart. Only He can renew my mind.

I can reflect on the pains and troubles of my past without dwelling on the negative thoughts and letting them consume me.

When I put my struggles through the sifter of God's truth, then I can see what happens in my life through His eyes. I may not understand, but I will know the truth about it.

And the truth is, God gives good things and God can use even the worst things in our lives for good, for His glory. The truth is that God will see us through and make our faith stronger on the other side of struggles and trials and pain. The truth is that God can make our heart and mind renewed every day, fresh without being entrapped in lies or guilt.

Let God renew you today by spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer.

Let Me Ask

"You do not have because you do not ask." - James 4:2 (NKJV)

If I but ask God to enlighten me to His vision, His plan for me, His will - He is ready to do just that. He is eager to fill my mind with truth. He is simply waiting for me to ask for help - to turn to Him saying "I cannot do this on my own."

Do I want to be full of His light, His vision, His truth? Then let me ask! Am I weary of trying to serve or fight in my own strength? Then let me ask! Am I struggling to keep in a constant fellowship with Him? Let. Me. Ask.

Lord, help me. I want to just overflow with abundance of little things that bring joy to Your heart. This is Your vision for me this day.

His Plans

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and future." - Jeremiah 29:11

God's plans for me do not include my being stuck in a pit of negativity. Dwelling on the negative, not just acknowledging it, but dwelling solely on all that is negative in my life is not a plan God has for me. Scripture says to think on good things, to remain thankful, to fill our hearts with praise.

Even when there is something chemically wrong with the brain, I believe fighting back the lies with positive truth is vital to ever getting better. It may not be the medical cure, but it is vital to recovery.

God's plans for me means my doing something good with everything brought into my life. Hard times, hard people, hard places . . . what will I do with what He brings? This also goes for blessing and joys. Will I give Him praise in every circumstance?

In Truth is Freedom

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are down trodden." - Luke 4:18

What sets us free? Jesus said truth sets us free.

I have believed lies. Lies about who I am. Lies that lead to worry and fear. Lies that put doubt in my mind about Truth.

But now I see, Jesus came to set me free. Free from the strongholds the enemy has set up in my mind. Free from the lies that bring me down. Free from the control my broken mind has over me.

I will no longer be down trodden. I find new mercies each day as I walk with Him.

How do we combat the lies and find freedom? By knowing and dwelling on the Truth. What truth or truths can you focus on today? Maybe one of the affirmations I wrote in the previous post? Or maybe a Scripture truth you read today? It is essential to saturate your mind with truth if we are to be free from the stronghold of lies.

Controlled Thinking

"We are destroying speculations, and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB)

Impulsivity has tossed me to and fro. Lies I have fallen prey to have all but destroyed my life. Oh, if I would take every thought captive! If I would fight back the lies with the truth of God's Word! Then I would be established, like the tree in Psalm 1, planted and prospering.

"Understanding will watch over you" (Psalm 2:11b) I can be guarded by gaining wisdom

What lies are you believing in your mind today? Are they lies of worry and doubt? Because God has you in His hands. Are they lies you are not good enough? Because God did not make a mistake when He created you. The more I study God's Word, the more I realize I have been listening to lie after lie about myself. Will you join me in fighting against these strongholds today? Your mind will be forever thankful for each step taken toward better mental health.

I Have Hope

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." -Ephesians 1:18-19 (NASB)

I have hope.

I have the hope of His calling. He called me. He called me to be His child. He chose me. He loves me. I am called to do goos works for His glory. I am called to pick up my cross and follow Him.

And with this calling is hope. Hope because I have purpose in this life and treasures stored up in my eternal home to which He will take me one day.

I rest in this hope.

Positive affirmations you can write down and read each day:

I have hope.
I am called.
I am chosen.
I am loved.
I have purpose.